Callum O'Connell

Tue 13 February 2024 15:10, UK

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already been approved by the Premier League to complete his purchase of a stake in Manchester United, according to The Telegraph, but Everton are stuck waiting for 777 Partners’ approval.

Ratcliffe initially agreed to purchase a 25 per cent stake in United in December, and around two months on, that deal has already been approved by the Premier League owners and directors test.

By comparison, 777 agreed to the Everton takeover and purchase of Farhad Moshiri’s shares almost exactly five months ago and are still awaiting a verdict.

Richard Masters, the Premier League CEO, confirmed that 777 had not provided all of the relevant documents to check, which led to further delays in the process, but that wait has gone on far longer than anybody expected.

777 Partners face delays surrounding Everton takeover

Masters’ admission that not all of the documents had been provided by the group looks to be the main reason for the delay, in which case they are entirely to blame for the drawn-out process Everton have been forced to wait through.

In that time, almost £200million has been loaned to the club by 777 to help with operating costs in the absence of other direct income beyond matchday revenue, increasing the concern about Everton’s rising debts.

Premier League checks are still ongoing about the takeover and whether it will be approved, having lasted significantly longer than anybody would have expected, with initial hopes that it would have been concluded before the start of 2024.

Now over a month into the year, we are still yet to hear any update on the progress, and the longer it drags on, the more concerns will arise both in the eyes of the fans and those conducting the relevant checks.

The swiftness of Ratcliffe and Manchester United’s approval may be explained by the 25 per cent take being significantly less than the 94.1 per cent 777 hope to purchase, but nobody expected things to drag on for this long.

Aside from the rising debts and continuous takeover delays, there have also been outside influences on the concerns of Everton supporters towards the group, as the long line of issues surrounding the potential ownership of Josh Wander and 777 Partners continues to grow by the day.

The group’s involvement with Standard Liege in Belgium, Red Star in France, Genoa in Italy and Hertha Berlin in Germany – many of whom have seen fan protests – has also come under further scrutiny in recent days after a speech was made directly to the UEFA president about the issue of multi-club ownership.

In other Everton news, a positive 777 influence could be on the cards.

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